Cartilage plays an essential role in human health. Cartilages are needed for formation and growth of the skeleton and are also present at the joint surface of bones, frequently undergoing damage that results in severe joint dysfunction. Diseases of cartilage will be increasingly predominant in our aging population. This fact makes cartilage a prime target for tissue engineering. An improved understanding of the mechanisms by which cartilages are generated and the pathogenesis of cartilage diseases are a high priority in biomedical research. The founding Gordon Research Conference n the Biology and Pathology of Cartilage was held in March 2003 in Ventura, California. It was a great success as attested by the very high marks given the Conference by the participants. The second Gordon Research Conference on the Biology and Pathology of Cartilage will discuss areas in which exciting new progress has been achieved. This will include recent advances in the developmental biology of cartilage and differentiation of chondrocytes, new insights into the role of extracellular matrix components of cartilages and their interactions, advances in our understanding of human cartilage diseases including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis as well as a growing number of monogenetic diseases affecting cartilages, recent progress in studying the mechanisms of cartilage degradation, and the biomechanics of cartilages, as well as recent advances in cartilage remodeling and repair, and new findings in the epidemiology of osteoarthritis. A particular emphasis of this conference will be on articular cartilage and the potential for developmental studies to inform tissue engineering of functional cartilage. The considerable progress that has been achieved in these different areas, the quality of the proposed speakers, the interdisciplinary nature of the conference, the proposed mix of scientists from academia and pharmaceutical companies, the inclusion of post-doctoral fellows, graduate students and minorities among the participants should all contribute to the success of this conference. The conference will be held at the II Ciocco, Barga, Italy on June 5-9, 2005.